Tag Archives: History

When Slovenian television viewers turned on their TV sets to watch the main evening news on April 15, 1968, they noticed something very different. For the first time ever, the news was in Slovenian. Up to that point, the main evening newscast had always been always produced in Belgrade. It was broadcast in the Serbo-Croatian language, which many people in ...

At a time when Slovenian theater was in its infancy, a woman named Marija Vera redefined the profession and won acclaim throughout Central Europe. With her cosmopolitan spirit, she also managed to leave a profound legacy on the Slovenian stage. Marija Vera was born Franziska Xaveria Maria Eppich in the northern Slovenian town of Kamnik in 1881. Of mixed Slovenian ...

The ruined Soteska Castle in the Krka River Valley has a long and colorful history, but it’s the mysterious structure nearby that still captures the imagination of both locals and passers-by. The building, a vertical garden pavilion shaped like a four-leaf clover, is known as the Devil’s Tower (Hudičev turn). According to local legend one of the noblemen who occupied ...

These days, the Slovenian town of Zidani Most is best known as a railroad junction. However, its name, which means “Stone Bridge” in Slovenian, serves as a reminder of several historic bridges built at the confluence of the Sava and the Savinja rivers – structures that helped to bring the Slovenian Lands closer together. Historians don’t know when the first ...

A historical land register or urbar is a book recording the taxes and fees paid by serfs throughout the feudal period. Such records are resources for studying agrarian and non-agrarian holdings, and a starting point for a wealth of economic, demographic, environmental, genealogical and other research. This article offers a brief presentation of the history of these land registers, and the contents ...

The Park of Military History in Pivka is getting more and more visitors. Staff members are convinced that they have the most interesting collection of its kind in Europe and that no one leaves disappointed. Last year, the Park was visited by 41,000 people. This number will certainly be surpassed this year. After all, the museum and its various exhibits ...

Even though he lived in the 19th century, Janez Bleiweis was a true Renaissance Man. Highly educated, he left a lasting mark as a physician, journalist, and a politician. He founded an influential political newspaper, and helped to bring a sense of Slovenian national consciousness to his readers. Bleiweis was born into a privileged family in 1808. Because of his ...

In the late 1980s, the Slovenian Spring was in full bloom. It was a time of a renewed national consciousness and ever-louder calls for human rights. During this period, one symbol soon took the country by storm: The linden leaf became a proud emblem of Slovenian national aspirations as Yugoslavia and Communism began to crumble. The appearance of the linden ...

Visitors who come to admire the Church of the Holy Trinity in the southwestern Slovenian village of Hrastovlje tend to focus on the magnificent Dance of the Dead fresco, which shows people from all walks of life being led to their deaths by skeletons. Some, however, may notice an inscription in an unusual script. The writing is in the Glagolitic ...

Slovenian history is rich with remarkable individuals, many of whom made lasting contributions in the fields of medicine, music, and politics. One family, however, stands out with its remarkable legacy; its members had a profound impact on the practice of medicine in the Slovenian Lands, composed songs that are still recognized today, and helped to awaken Slovenian national consciousness. The ...